Moores keen to grasp England chance

Peter Moores is confident he will make the most of his second chance to coach England.

Moores' appointment was confirmed on Saturday in a Lord's press conference, at which he was described by England and Wales Cricket Board managing director Paul Downton as "the outstanding coach of his generation".

So it is that, at the age of 51, he becomes the first man in any of this country's three most prominent team sports to be entrusted with the same high-profile role twice.

Last time, he admits, there were mistakes from which he has learned.

Whether he numbers the power struggle with Kevin Pietersen, which cost Moores his job and the mercurial batsman the England captaincy five years ago, is a moot point.

In any event, they will not be working together again - and if there were any lingering doubts, Downton duly made it abundantly clear once more that Pietersen's axing two months ago will remain permanent.

Having emerged as the clear choice of the ECB ahead of Ashley Giles - initially thought by many to be the surefire successor after Andy Flower's post-Ashes resignation as team director - Moores appears to have a clean sheet to approach his old job as he sees fit.

He does so too in remarkably similar circumstances to those which prevailed before his first stint when, as now, England had much to prove after the breakdown of a previously successful regime, an Ashes whitewash and a mediocre showing in a world tournament.

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Moores has a major task on his hands to reinvigorate England in partnership with captain Alastair Cook, but it is one he promises he will relish.

"It's great to be back," said the former Sussex and, most recently, Lancashire coach.

Moores won the county championship on the south coast and then in the north-west, where it had not been claimed outright in approaching 80 years.

And he believes his time at Old Trafford has helped him update the skills required to make a success of coaching the national team.

He said: "I loved my first time with England.

"Would you look back and do things differently? Yes, certain things you would. But I loved it and I'm really looking forward to another chance, getting another go and build something for the future.

"I feel very excited, very proud to get this opportunity. It's a great chance to work with Alastair, an outstanding player and person and try to build something."

Moores' sporting ethos is one of "connection" between management, captain, players and supporters.

He sees it as his job to make that happen, a notion that chimes with the mood of employers seeking to establish a 'new era' out of the shambles and messy aftermath of last winter's Ashes.

"No one has a right to the job at all," said Moores. "You have to earn that right.

"I'd like to be involved with a team that is connected to the public, open, and commits totally, a team everyone is very proud of.

"You learn from mistakes. You develop. I look back at last time and I'm proud of some of the things that happened.

"But you try and help players as a coach; you learn to help [them] ... to still be real people, have their own view and be part of a very strong team.

"That's something I've got better at over time and I hope I can bring that to the set-up.

"Playing for England is special. If it ever becomes a normal day (for someone), then we've picked the wrong person.

"I don't see it as my responsibility to lift them; it's their responsibility to be lifted. The job of the coach and captain is to connect, make sure we're part of something together because then we can be a force."

Downton is sold.

"One person stood out, in my view - Peter Moores," he said, having led interviews with five candidates over the past week.

"He is known as the outstanding coach of his generation. I think this is his time and I'm extremely excited about the opportunity of working with Peter and Alastair.

"As I sit here ... either side of me, this is the future of English cricket. I think that starts now."

Cook too, the notable survivor of the debacle Down Under, is buying in.

"I've been in limbo over the last couple of months since Andy Flower stepped down," he said.

"To finally get to the day where we have a new coach, we can start planning for the future."

The ECB's plan appears to be to name Sri Lanka coach Paul Farbrace as Moores' assistant.

But Farbrace's current employers, due to tour England next month, appear not so enamoured by the turn of events.

Downton could therefore only say: "We are in advanced negotiations to appoint an assistant coach.

"At this stage, with due respect to his current employers, we're not going to make an announcement on that. We hope to be able to do so soon."

As for Giles - naturally "disappointed" when Downton broke the news to him in person on Good Friday - an uncertain future perhaps awaits.

Downton insists the embarrassment of ICC World Twenty20 defeat last month did not cost Giles the job and is convinced that his time will come.

"I think this has all just come slightly too early for Ashley," said Downton.

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"What I said to him yesterday was that this is by no means the end.

"I'll be surprised if Ashley doesn't come back and maybe in the future he will be England coach."

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